Swamp Thing Unveiled

This picture was taken in November of 2009 on an Ecology and Evolution field trip with Dr. White at Loyola University. The canoe trips with Dr. White were one of the greatest aspects of my college education. I encourage anyone curious enough to find a way to take a guided canoe trip in the wetlands.

I was blessed enough to visit New Orleans once again. After having driven from Houston through Beaumont, I was a little grumpy from driving. Once my passenger and I reached the bridges past Lake Charles, we both were instantly relieved at the sight of the wetlands. And it's strange; swamps are generally thought to be horrifying places where diseases brew in infested insects and swamp monsters emerge. The muck and overgrown plants, the seemingly dirty water--it's not as easy on the eyes as a Florida beach. So why was I so relieved to see such a creepy place?

Miami beaches used to be mangroves. (mangroves are like salt-water swamps) It takes a lot of unnatural maintenance and landscaping to convert mangroves into sandy beaches, and is part of why Florida gets so torn up over hurricanes--mangroves and swamps help serve as natural hurricane protection. Beaches can be as creepy as swamps in their own way, as they often get in the way of the natural balances in nature.

Upon the "Bienvenue à Louisiane" sign is also a message to protect Louisiana's coast. Louisiana may not have artificially pristine beaches like Florida, but they do have something incredibly valuable and increasingly endangered. The wetlands surrounding the cities of Louisiana are the same wetlands that Jean Lafitte, a famous pirate in American History, smuggled imports and tricked the British in the Battle of New Orleans. These wetlands carry the sounds of porch music; they house fishermen who live by seasons of invertebrates rather than climate. Louisiana, and especially New Orleans, has such a unique culture that is bred within these peculiar ecosystems that most other people are afraid of.

Anyone who canoes out into the wetlands and watches a sunset can feel just how beautiful a swamp or marsh can be. (Remember: wetlands are literally characterized by permanent flooding. A swamp is mostly water, cypresses, etc. A marsh is full of grasses and water. Swamps and marshes make up the wetlands)

Beyond the beauty and cultural value of the wetlands, wetlands also have quite a few natural perks.

For one, they serve as "sponges" by absorbing and storing water, gradually releasing water; thereby, this process of water storage helps prevent flooding, reduces erosion, and "mixes" water and its components (like soil, debris from plants, etc) so that it flows easier. Thus, there's less hurricane damage, less flooding, less property damage, and healthier ecosystems surrounding the wetlands. Compare this to Miami beaches in which the National Guard has to build up sand bars (which costs A LOT) in order to keep the hotels from literally eroding away. Even in New Orleans East, neighborhoods have been built by drying out wetlands and have shortly ended due to the tendency for flooding.

While the wetlands absorb all of this water, the wetlands are also filtering and cleaning the water. All of the nasty fertilizers, septic tank debris, manure and who knows what are filtered through the abundant plant life and are removed from the water itself. This natural filtration process is so successful that some artificial wetlands have been built in order to treat storm and waste water.

Though the wetlands look like a big green and brown mess, they have an incredibly large array of ecological diversity comparable to a coral reef or rain forest. The balance of life in the wetlands creates an abundance of diverse habitats, allowing for energy to move from plants to small fish and crustaceans, to larger fish, reptiles and even humans. All of this life contributes to fishing industries that help keep Louisiana communities alive.

Consider some of these interesting facts about wetlands from the Environmental Protection Agency:

• In 1991 wetland-related eco-tourism activities such as hunting, fishing, bird-watching, and photography added approximately $59 billion to the national economy. (i.e. if the beauty of wetlands don't convince you of their worth, wetlands are valuable economically through tourism)

• According to the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, almost $79 billion per year is generated from wetland-dependent species, or about 71 percent of the nation’s entire $111 billion commercial and recreational fishing industry in 1997. (Again, wetlands are valuable economically.)

• An acre of wetland can store 1–1.5 million gallons of floodwater. (Wetlands are pretty good at what they do)

• Up to one-half of North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands. (Proof of wetland's biodiversity)

• Although wetlands keep only about 5 percent of the land surface in the conterminous United States, they are home to 31 percent of our plant species. (Biodiversity again)

• Seventy-five percent of commercially harvested fish are wetland-dependent. Add shellfish species and that number jumps to 95 percent. (Biodiversity and economy!)

So. Swamps may not be the ideal location for your next summer vacation. They are, however, beautiful and ecologically productive ecosystems that we should work to protect. Preserving the wetlands preserves the unique Louisiana cultures, the Louisiana economy, biodiversity, property values, esthetic value and helps clean our water. Perhaps the real Swamp Things we should fear are the lumber industries that clear cut the wetlands, the oil industries that trash our wetlands and our own selves for not standing up for these beautiful places.

If you want to find out how to help the wetlands, try the Gulf Restoration Network.